Aeroplane-control surface.



H. KLECKLER.

'AEROPLANE CONTROL SURFACE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. I917- 1,246,027. I PatentedNm 6, 1917/ 314m Wm HENRY'KLECKLEE snares HENRY KLECKLER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO CURTISS A EROPLA NE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917 Original application filed January 13, 1916, Serial No. 71,892. Divided and this application filed March 22.

' 1917. -Serial1\To. 156,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KLnoKLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane-Control Surfaces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to aircraft and more particularly to the control surface construc- 7 means will more firmly secure the tie anchorage to said surface. This anchorage or clip is arranged to encircle said outer surface edge and is equipped with an ear or cars for the proper fastening of said tie means. These ears (where more than one are required) extend out from said clip at a point approximately equidistant from its edges and are inclined edgewise in the direction of said wiring for increased strength and decreased head resistance.

Another and equally important characteristic of the invention is the construction of the control surface lever arms or horns of sheet metal. When used in connection with double acting control surfacesthe lever arms extend out from the opposite surface-sides and the tie means above referred to, under such circumstances, interconnects them by way of the aforementioned clip. Each lever arm, in transverse section, is of substantially streamline form and is fastened to said control surface by means of base plates equipped with ears. From said base plates the lever arms taper outwardly, being hollow, and are inclined preferably in the direction of flight.

Furthermore, if desired, the terminal porflap constructed, braced and adapted to be operated in accordance with this invention;

F1g. 2 1s a perspective view of one of the lever arms or horns;

Fig. 3 is a section, taken in a vertical plane, showing the base construction of said arm;

Fig. 4 is a similar section taken in a plane atright angles to that of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of said arm taken in the vicinity of its tip, and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the outer edge clip ofthe supporting surface.

While an elevator flap is illustrated as equipped and constructed in accordance with this invention it is to be understood that all other movable control surfaces, including rudders and ailerons, may be similarly provided or equipped and to advantage. Said surface I have designated in its entirety by the numeral 10.

The lever arms or horns are similarly constructed. Each includes a hollow shaft or body 11 maintained at an angle upon an ovoidal base 12 through the medium of attaching flanges or ears 13 struck centrally I from said base. The body portion 11 is of a rstreamline cross section and is forwardly inclined from the attaching plate or base 12 until itsfiattened extremity l2 verticallyi-overhangs the hinge axis 15 of the control surface whereby said surface is movably supported as desired. Being an elevator flap, the surface herein illustrated is attached to the trailing edge of a stabilizing plane 16. If double means of which said surface is moved about its hinge axis, the control leads being fastened to the respective tips 14 of the lever arms by. means of shackles 18. Said tips or flattened extremities 1 1 are preferably reinforced by an embedded plate 19 (see Fig. 5) since it is at such point that the greates strain is imposed.

Tension wires 19 brace the arms and ex tend from each arm tip toward the outer edge of the surface 10. These wires are anchored to ears 20 formed integrally with a clip 21 arranged to embrace the outer edge of the surface 10. The wires are thus anchored in such manner that the tension, if-

increased by a pull on either of the control leads 17, tends to all the more firmly draw tion 22 of greatest width. This increase in the width of the bight portion provides for r a symmetrical distribution of the tension by reason of the fact that the ears 20 may be located in a plane equidistant from the edges of the clip. It will also be noted that 'the ears 20 are laterally formed upon the fastening extremities of the clip in such manner as not to strain the fastening means employed to hold the .clip against lateral ranged longitudinally so that they are in a much better position, due to their edgewise and forward inclination, to reduce the tensional strains placed upon them- The foregoing intertying of the lever arm and outer surface edge may be provided in connection with single acting control surface by eliminating one of the ears 20 of the clip 21, one of the braces or stay wires 19, and one of the lever arms 11 together with its associated control lead 17. The lever arm formation is especially desirable by reason of the reduced production cost and the almost perfect streamline obtainable by the use of sheet metal. In forming the horns or lever arms the brazing or welding should extend longitudinally and at the trailing edge. Moreover, the clevises anchored to the arm extremities may be received between the extensions of the lever arm, it being-apparent upon reference to Fig. 2 that said arm is terminally bifurcated as at 23. This latterconstruction, however, is a matter of, choice 40 and is preferred only in that the head resistance during flight is slightly reduced. Both the-base plate 12 and the body portion 11 of the lever arms can be stamped out and thereafter bent to. form, the ears of the base plate engaging the enlarged end of the body portion interiorly as illustrated in Fig. 3.

" Rivets or other fastening devices may be used in this connection. In double acting control surfaces the base plates of the opposed lever arms may be secured by through bolts, or if desired the lever arms may be separately fastened. Being hollow throughout, the lever arms are extremely light and being of sheet metal, are exceptionally strong. The fundamental characteristic of the invention, however, is the inter-tying of the lever arms of the control surfaces and the outer surface edge whereby as the tension-o'r pull on the lever arms is increased the anchorage at the outer endof the tie wires ends to more firmly seat itself against said outer edge. Except as a means preventing lateral displacement of this anchorage no bolts or other'fastening devices need be employed. All tendency to split the surweeps? face structure by reason of the heretofore used through-bolts is eliminated.

While in the foregoing there has been illustratedin the drawings and described in the specification 'such combination and arrangement of elemnts as constitute the preferred construction or embodiment of this invention, it is'nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invention should pnly be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an aeroplane, the combinatiton with a control surface of an arm fastened to said surface at a point removed from its outer edge, a control lead fastened to said. arm for moving said surface in controlling flight, a stay connecting said arm and the outer edge of-said surface, andan anchorage for'said stay at its outer end comprising a clip ar ranged to encircle said surface edge in such manner that an increase in the tension of said-staytendsto more firmly engage the clip with said surface edge.

2. In an aeroplane, the combination with a control surface, of an arm fastened to said surface at a point removed from its outer edge, a control lead fastened to said arm for moving said surface in controlling flight, a stay connecting said arm and the outer edge of said surface, and an anchorage for said stay at its outer end comprising a substantially U-clip having its bight portion in engagement with said surface edge whereby an increase in the tension of said stay tends to more firmly engage the bight portion of said clip with said surface edge.

3. In an aeroplane, the combination with a control surface, of arms fastened to said surface at points removed from its outer edge, said arms being fastened respectively to opposite faces of said surface, control leads fastened to said arms for moving said surface in controlling flight, stays connecting said arms and the outer edge of'said surfaces, and means anchoring both stays to said outer edge comprising a clip arranged to encircle said surface edge in such manner that an increase in the tension of either stay tends to more firmly engage the 'clip with said surface edge.

4. In an aeroplane, the combination with the control surface or surfaces, of a substantially conical hollow lever arm having a laterally extending flange formed upon its inner end, and means engaging said flange for attaching the lever arm to one of said cona control surface, of a hollovv'taperin'g lever-- arm,' means for. attaching said arm to said surface, control leads-fastened to the lever arln extremitm-and means reinforcing that portion of said arm in -the immediate vicii ity. of its po nt of connection wlth s'ald operating means.-

'7.-In an aeroplane; the combination with a control surface, of a base? plate-adapted :to be secured to said surfa'ce, a leverarmJ atcached to said base-plate for maintenanea .uponz said surfaceQa shackle pivoted to said-' arm, and means reinforcing said arm at the point of attachment'of said shackle.

8. In an aeroplane, theeombin ationfwith a mev'abl'e' control surface, of a. [clip engaging an edge of said surface, and ears struck up from's'aid clip for'theiainchorage of brace meansfd'r said surface, said ears being at right angles tosaid edge,

Q 9. In an'aeroplane; the combination with.

a control surface, jof'a 'U,clip engaging an edge of [said surface, niean'sextendingi through the extremities. of said tening itagainst lateral displacement with k at. right angles to the fspeci; to saidsurface. v I c ,-10 The combination w th a controlst rs clip for 'fasrespect [to said surface, and'e'arsstruck-up.

chorages for bracing against longitudinal face .ofc an' aerop1an'ej,"of a- U-clip engaging sides of said surface, and means commonly penetrating-the flanges of both said" lever 45 arms for 'fasteningthem'in-place..

' In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature;-

clip to serve as an- 1 means provided with said surface, the bracing means conjointly functioning as a means for-retaining the'clip 30 displacement-With; re-- KLECICLER, 

